Weems Animal Sculptures

Permanent Exhibit

Katharine Lane Weems (1899 – 1989), a Boston-born artist, donated her collection to the Museum of Science to demonstrate the many connections between science and art. There are 30 bronze sculptures of animals displayed in this exhibit, and the Museum of Science has the largest Weems collection in the world.

During her 70-year career, Katharine Weems broke away from the twentieth century social standards for women to become one of the most recognized animal sculptors of her time. She carefully observed the anatomy and behavior of the animals she sculpted. Knowing the shapes and locations of each animal's muscles, bones, and tendons allowed her to sculpt more realistic animals.

Some of Katharine Weems' much larger sculptures can be viewed in other parts of the Boston area. Weems created the Lotta Crabtree Fountain on the Charles River Esplanade, the Dolphins of the Sea at the New England Aquarium, and the Rhinoceroses in front of the Harvard Biological Laboratories at Harvard University.